Mirage
by Bluebelle Yuu Tsukiyu
Summary: A car crash. Such an ordinary death. When Lin pictured her death, she never thought of a car crash. Really, she wanted something extraordinary, but she wasn't one to complain. After all, her afterlife was awesome! Although, she had been run over a second time and that by none other than Mephisto Pheles.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello :) So, I'm new here, nice to meet you n.n I won't talk much now. I guess you most likely came here to read the story. Enjoy it. Please visit my page to get more information.  
Love, Matti  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ao no Exorcist. It belongs to its rightful owner.**

* * *

**Through the looking glass**

_"_Just go and die already."

"N-no! I don't want to die!"

"It's all your fault. Don't you dare to show yourself in front of me again."

"I'm sorry. Please don't leave me alone. I-. I'm scared Le-."

"NEVER, never ever call me by that name! You will only dirty it with your filthy mouth."

"B-but-."

"LEAVE ALREADY!"

**Crash!**

A scream echoed through the empty streets of a little city, but no one seemed to notice.

It was a dusky day. Heavy clouds covered the ever shining sun and a brisk wind blew through the air. People rushed from place to place, only minding their own business.

It was cold. _She_ was cold. Her throat was sore and her head hurt.

_'__Why?'_

She couldn't remember how many times she had asked that herself by now. The minutes ticked by and she was still rooted to the spot, paralyzed by shock and fear.

_'__Why?'_

Carefully, her freezing arms moved from their defensive position to limply hang by her sides. Silent tears escaped her puffy and red eyes.

_'__WHY?!'_

Anger bubbled up in her stomach, but as suddenly as it appeared it disappeared. She just couldn't stay angry… angry with anyone but herself.

_'__Why…?'_

Pressing shut her eyes in agony, she pushed herself to move. The door in front of her had already been closed for a while. There was no way to return now. _She_ wouldn't let her in anyways. _She_, her sister. _She, _her only remaining relative. _She, _the one who wished for her death. It was over and she had to accept the truth. Her sister was not the one to forgive. She was the one who should know it the best. They had been living together since she could remember. They grew up together and still lived together even though both of them were legal adults, but now… Everything was over? No, she couldn't believe it.

**_'_****_Denial.'_**

**_'_**_No!'_

She shook her head.

**_'_****_Hatred.'_**

_'__No no no! I would never hate her!'_

**_'_****_Envy'_**

_'__Stop it! Shut up!'_

As quickly as she could, she dashed away, away from her home, away from her sister, away from her past. She didn't know where to go, she didn't know what to do. Should she fulfil her sister's wish? Yeah, it was probably for the best. Maybe, just maybe, she would be happy. Maybe she would stop hating her.  
Her messy black hair flew with the strong gusts as her naked feet carried her over the asphalt. She wasn't looking. Her eyes were closed shut, still she knew where she was heading.

People were probably looking at her as if she were nuts by now. She was running around in her sleeping gown after all.

_'__Maybe I should talk with Momoko first…'_

Just as she wanted to turn around, she could hear a loud screeching and the honking of a car horn.

_'__No! Shit, why now?!'_

Then the disgusting sound of breaking bones echoed through the mostly empty streets. At first it hurt like hell, but the pain was soon gone. _'Why do I always have so much bad luck…? Damn it, I didn't even get to say goodbye to Momo… I'm so sorry dear.'_

A gut-wrenching cough racked her body with pain. Everything she saw was red, red, RED!

"Hey?! Hey, can you hear me?!"

_'__Just leave me to die in peace you asshole.'_

Again she had to cough, but she couldn't feel it anymore. Death was fast approaching.

"Don't give up! The ambulance will come right away!"

_'__Che. No can do. I want to give up…'_

She felt colder and colder, her breathing got shallower and her eyelids got heavier.

_'__And I haven't even finished my fanfictions yet, neither uploaded them. Ha~ what a shame. Maybe Moko will upload them for me. I gave her my passwords for Near, Takeshi and Yato after all. I hope she'll take care of my sketches.'_

"Please don't close your eyes! You have to stay awake!"

_'__Hehehe. Here I am, lying in my own blood and dying on the top of it and all I can think of are my fanfictions and pictures! I always imagined something melodramatic and special, like all those descriptions of death. Why don't I get this sped up film-thingy of my memories? Mou~ not fair!'_

"The ambulance is here! Don't worry, everything will be fine!"

_'__Sorry there, I don't plan on living on boy. Still thanks for caring. C'ya in my next life. Bai bai~'_

Everything turned black.

* * *

_'__Urgh. My head feels like it's going to split open.'_

She gritted her teeth, trying to move her arm to cover her eyes, although they were closed. However, pain prevented her from doing so. Her whole body felt kind of numb.

_'__Wait, wait wait wait wait. I'm supposed to be dead. What the freaking hell am I doing here?!... Here…? Where is here?'_

Tentatively, she opened her eyes, trying to find out where exactly she was, only to be greeted by an unfamiliar room.

_'__What the fuck? This is definitely not a hospital room. Don't tell me I was honestly kidnapped in my state! I mean, seriously? Seriously?! What kind of a sick bastard would do such a thing?!'_

**_Creak_**

Suddenly the door was opened. Panic stricken, the black haired girl closed her eyes again, pretending to be asleep.  
Quiet, but firm footsteps echoed through the room as the new person came closer and closer. Then they suddenly stopped.

_'__Shit, shit shit shit shit! I hope it's a nice person, not some creepy weirdo.'_

"私は彼女が最も可能性の高い、まだ眠っているサーPheles になることを言った。彼女は今、ほぼ8ヶ月間、この状態にあった."

_'__Huh? Japanese? I'm… confused. Why Japanese?! I stopped going to Japanese lessons a year ago! I can't even understand what they want from me! Are they even talking to me? Hmm~ but it's still awesome!'_

"ああ、しかしあなたはミスター先生見ることができないのですか？リトル·ミスが広く起きて、あなたではないですか？"

_'__Mou! This is so unfair! I wanna understand them!'_

"先生-."

"あなたは私にあなたの美しい目リトル·ミスを示さないのだろうか？"

_''__That sounded way closer! Eh? Can something even sound closer? Maa, dun care. So… did Mr voice I-sound-so-full-of-myself mean me? Or was he talking to Mr voice I-am-a-goody-two-shoes? I wonder… Perhaps I should stop pretending now. It's getting boring anyways.'_

Unsure and a little scared, she eventually forced herself to open her eyes. Hey, there was nothing she could do against being intimidated by two male voices that she didn't know! Who wouldn't be at least a little bit frightened?

As she already predicted two persons were standing beside the bed she was occupying, one grinning and the other with a surprised expression plastered across his face, but it was quickly replaced by a polite smile. Then she noticed many little black and puffy things hovering in the air. Demons.

_'__Sir Pheles…' S_he blinked as another name entered her thoughts. _'Yukio… Yukio and Sir Pheles! Mephisto! How could I be this dumb?!' _The girl almost facepalmed, if it wouldn't be so out of place at this moment. _'Hell! Why Ao no exorcist?! Whyyyyyy?! I haven't really read it yet! No wait. Something is really wrong with my brain. I should worry about what the hell I am even doing here! I don't belong here!'_

"だから、今あなたが目を覚ましていることを、どのように私たちに、あなたについて少し語ってはどうでしょうか？〜私たちは小さなお茶会があるでしょう来る、来る!"

The black haired girl could only stare in awe as the demon suddenly snipped his fingers while counting in fluent German. Now that she was actually lying in front of the man, she took her time observing him. _'He's so big- eh tall! And why the heck is he wearing white?! I hate white. It's evil! Humpf. But the red is great.'_

All of a sudden the place changed and she was sitting at a round table that was completely pink, a cup of tea lying in front of her. Mephisto and Yukio were sitting across her, while the letter seemed to sigh. _'Pff, this is probably nothing new to him. However…' _She looked around. _'What's with that demon and colours I hate. I can't stand pink!'_

Said demon only had his trademark grin on his face and sipped on his tea. "心配しないでください。お茶は毒されていません."

The girl blankly stared at him, but then suddenly stared chuckling. _'I can only imagine some random girly-girl ending up in my situation. I am sure that she would either faint or scream murder. Who the hell was able to change the room within the blink of the eye? That isn't even possible in my world! My world… that sounds so crazy. Hahaha~ Maybe I'm going insane! Naa, I'm already insane. Aaand proud of it. Back to topic. Is Mephisto testing me? Is he waiting for my reaction to all this crazy stuff? Ahhh! All this thinking is making my head hurt! I'll just be myself! Yeah… no. Yes. Na. Urgh. I'm not some random chick! How do I know how someone would usually react to this? I don't even feel anything! No excitement nor fear anymore, now that I know who those creepy voices are! Fuuu! Okay I'll just be who I am…'_

The black haired girl focused her attention on the scene in front of her. The Okumura and the principal were looking at her, most likely waiting for some kind of answer to the question or statement or whatever that Mephisto gave before. She knew she had to answer, but what language should she use? German? Mephisto was from a German book after all… at least in her world. However, Yukio wouldn't understand them. Probably. She could never know with him. He had always been displayed as super intelligent in the manga as well as in the anime.

She sighed, eventually coming to a decision. English would most likely be the best pick.  
Taking a deep breath, she built up all her courage and gave them her best formal voice. "My apologies, but I am not able to understand you, for that my Japanese does not reach that high level. I am not even at A1."

That earned another surprised reaction from the two of them, but the professionals they were, they quickly replaced it with their own formal expressions. _'I really hope I didn't say something weird again. Sorry for not being a social butterfly here. Humpf.'_

Yukio looked at Mephisto as if asking for permission to say or do something, because the other one nodded in agreement at his questioning glance.

"There is no need to apologize Miss. We were simply not aware of your heritage. However, I must say that it was quite the surprise to us that you are not Japanese. Your physical features resemble those of one."

Said girl gasped in awe, hardly being able to suppress a squeal. _'He sounds sowas von awesome! It's super adorable! I can hear his accent! But I must admit that his English is really really good for a fifteen-year-old compared to all those blockheads I know. Should have known. He's the school representative after all. Silly me. He must be good with every school subject. Oh well, I should give my answer, shouldn't I? It would seem really weird, if I just sat there and stared into thin air. What did he tell me again? That I look Japanese? Oh, you're flattering me boya.'_

She looked at him with a soft smile on her face and waved her arms in a it's-fine motion. "That is not entirely wrong. I am partly a Filipina, but-" The girl paused. Would it seem rude to ask him where he came from? Even if it was indirectly? Hmm. She shook her head. "Oh my, I apologize. I have not introduced myself yet." Another pause. _'Shiiiii! I can't just use my real name! Uhhh. Ehm. Oh! I have one!'_

The raven bowed as deep as the position she was in allowed it. "My name is Lin Suzu and I am seventeen years old. It is an honourto meet you. Please do call me by my given name."

"The pleasure is all mine little Lin!" Mephisto suddenly butted in, before the poor boy could respond to the introduction. "I'm Mephisto Pheles. The principal of this beautiful school."

_'__Damn it! Is he doing this on purpose? Why did he give me his real name? Did he see through my lie? Does he know that I gave them a false name? No this isn't possible! Can he read my mind after all?! No!' _Lin glanced at the man. _'That would be a really big pain in the ass! As much as I hate to say this, I do know the vague plot line of Ao no exorcist! Grrr! Maaann, why is the world so unfair! Now that I think of it, I totally forgot to ask them how they found me! I must seem so suspicious! Fuck it all. Now I am staying silent too long. I'm thinking too much! Argh! Just be your freaking own self Lin! What's so difficult about that?!'_ She had to force herself not to groan at her idiocy.

"Pardon me, I do not want to be rude in any way, but there is something bothering me. The last thing I remember is that I wanted to get ingredients for my food. You told me that I am at your school Sir Pheles, but I do not know how I ended up here."

Lin did her best with looking as confused as possible. She furrowed her brows and eyed the white clothed man with her once pitch black orbs, not that she knew that they had changed their colour.

"I'm sorry to tell you this little Lin, but you got caught in a car crash." She knew that he was only acting sad and it kind of set her off. Would he also only act sad, if it was something serious? Would he play with a poor and innocent little girls head like this? She couldn't stand something like that! She hated it with all her might. She did because… because she had been doing this all her life. Acting, acting, always acting! No one liked the real her. No one… No! Now was not the time to wallow in self-pity! And anyways, acting had saved her ass several times! It would do good to act now as well.

"There is no need to be sorry. However, should I not be at a hospital?" It scared her how convincing she sounded. It was just like the old times. Pretending came to her as easily as the answer to one plus one.

**_'_****_I'm no better than a demon.'_**

_'__No! What am I even thinking?'_

**_'_****_It's all my fault.'_**

_'__No no no no! Shut up!'_

"Do you not feel well Suzu-san? Your skin is sheet white. Perhaps it was still too early for you to get out of bed." Yukio was looking at her with worried eyes, keeping himself from standing up. It was probably because of something Mephisto said to him.

Lin shook her head, a grateful, but weak smile plastered across her face. "Do not worry. I am perfectly fine. Please go on."

"You've been in a coma for eight months and the hospital couldn't find your relatives. No one was searching for a black hared girl with striking ice blue eyes." _'Ice blue eyes?! I have pitch black eyes, don't I? WHAT THE HELL?!' _"And bluntly put, I was the one who ran you over, so I took responsibility of my actions." _'HUH?!'_

"Principal!" The Okumura was standing, hands against the table. How could Sir Pheles say it just like that? Didn't he consider the girl's feelings at all? Sure, he knew that he was up to something, after all he had told him that he wanted to try some things out, but treating a patient like this was in no way proper! She was probably just holding herself together and that in a way that he could only praise. Not every adolescent girl would behave that way after all of this. He was impressed by her serenity, when the principal suddenly used his powers to change their location and now, looking at her, he saw no fear nor hostility. All that was mirrored by her big and round eyes was sadness. He didn't know why, but no matter how far he dug, he only found more and more sadness and… loneliness? Nonetheless, her smiles felt too real to be faked. How could she smile like this and not feel like smiling at all?! It didn't make any sense. She didn't make any sense. Little did Yukio know how much more confusing things would get very soon.

"That is really considerate of you Sir Pheles. I deeply apologize for the trouble I caused. I am in your debt." Lin bowed again and then, for the first time, sipped at her tea, but she quickly spit it out again. Hopefully, no one saw that. She hated tea. Hated, hated it. It's so gross!

"I must say that I am not the one you should apologize to little Lin. Mr Teacher was the one who has been taking care of you since I took you in." Mephisto pointed at Yukio, who had sat down a while ago and was now slightly blushing. Lin simply smiled at that and also bowed to him. "Thank you for taking care of me all this time. It must have been really-" She paused, searching for the right expression. What? English wasn't her first language! "-demanding."

_'__So it really was Yukio who had been looking after me when I was out. I had a hunch, but now that it's revealed. Squeee~ that's so cool! I wonder if Rin is already here. That would be even more awesome! I mean, if I… no that's just wishful thinking. I'll most likely end up as the one no one notices again…'_

"I-I'ts fine! I want to be a doctor after all."

She smirked. _'Wie putzig.'_

**_'_****_He'll hate me._**_'_

_'__Y-yeah… I better not even try… No! I shouldn't be this negative! Stay optimistic Always optimistic. Trying won't hurt… right?'_

"That is a remarkable goal. I hope that you will reach it one day." Lin closed her eyes, remembering the manga. Yukio wanted to become a doctor since he was just a little child. He never lost sight of his dream and she? She was just a shadow of her former self, having lost sight of everything. _'It's so like me to get lost. Hehe.'_

"I appreciate your concern." He smiled.

"As beautiful as the moment is, I need to hurry our little tea party a bit. It is getting dark and I still need to take care of some stuff. Little Lin, it would be good to know how to contact your parents. They are surely worried about you."

_'__My parents…'_

**Just go and die already! It's all your fault! Don't you dare to show yourself in front of me again! LEAVE ALREADY!**

**_'_****_Yeah, it's all my fault… '_**

_'__Maa, paa… I'm so sorry. I didn't even spare you a single thought… I'm such a disgrace, am I not? A failure as a daughter, a failure as a sister. I couldn't even fulfil your dying wish. I left her to fend for herself. Lee… No, It's back to Luna-Serenity now, isn't it? Of course you wouldn't want to be my sister anymore. There is so much blood on my hands, right? So, so much blood…'_

Lin swallowed hard and faced the principal, trying not to look too calm while saying what she was going to say. It was gruesome to say that she didn't feel very bad about her family passing away. She was still numb and hopefully she would stay that way forever.

"I have no parents to contact, my apologies. There is no one you could tell about my situation, but me. I have been taking care of myself for a while now and I will continue to do so again from now on. I am honestly grateful for all that you have done for me. However, I do not plan on bothering you any more. I will take my leave as soon as possible. Please contact me when you need me to pay off my debt." It was said with such a listless voice, she didn't even recognized herself at all. Why was she this cold? Why did she even insist to leave? She had no place to go to! She didn't even want to say all of that! However, it was too late now. Maybe she'll find some shelter somewhere.

"Now now little Lin, there is no reason to precipitate things now. One step at a time. You just woke up from a coma. You shouldn't run around in your state. Or do you wish for events to repeat?" Mephisto stood up once he had finished his sentence. He couldn't risk her dying on him without finding out what was wrong with her. Of course he wouldn't simply take in a random stranger. There were way more important things out there, but this girl… She just suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of his car, heavily wounded and with actually no chance to survive. However, what was even more interesting was that he couldn't read her mind. Up until now he could hear every single thought of those wimpy human girls. The lack thereof only proved that something was really off. She didn't react to his baits as well. No reaction to the sudden change of location nor to all the provocations he threw at her. She stayed calm. This was frustrating and he would get nowhere today, plus Amaimon was waiting for him already. He'd just have to let the younger Okumura twin do the job for him. She obviously had something for him. Humans.

"I suggest that you return to your room and rest for the remaining hours of the day. Mr Teacher will help you get settled. You said you were 17, right? You will be attending the True Cross Academy from now on! I won't take no as an answer. School will start in a month. You should polish up your Japanese a little if you want to graduate with good grades! C'ya then little Lin~!" With that he suddenly changed the locations again and disappeared, leaving Yukio and Lin alone.

Awkward silence.

"I still wanted to take a look at the manga collection that I saw there…" Lin pouted sullenly, but a sudden chuckle pulled her back to reality.

"I am sure that you will be able to ask that Sir Pheles another time, but for now we will have to take care of the formalities." Yukio was still politely smiling at her. "Stop that."

He was blinking in confusion. "Excuse me, but stop what?"

_'__Whoops~ I said that out aloud didn't I? No good. Ehehe~. Oh well, I don't care. I'll just turn my brain off for now. I'm really freaking tired. Bai bai sanity~ Sorry Yukio that you'll have to go through that now. I know that I'll definitely regret this later, but hell.'_

"I don't wanna go to school~!" The black haired girl moaned, not giving her language a single thought, what only caused more confusion on the other side.

"Don't worry. It won't be that bad. Everyone is really nice. Yo-."

"Will I be in the same class as you?" She jumped up and down on her bed.

"I am afraid that you will be in another class. You are seventeen after all." Poor boy was seriously looking sorry for that, not knowing that Lin was only joking around, but if he swallowed everything she said, why not continue?

"Ehhh? What does _that_ have to do with _this_?" She tried her best to sound like a spoilt little brat, whining about something she wasn't able to get.

"Suzu-san, please calm down. You will disturb the whole dormitory." He was getting desperate, already thinking that he misjudged her. Luckily, she complied and settled down. "To answer your question, you will probably be my senpa-." Before he could even finish his sentence, he felt someone pulling him up from his sitting position on his bed. Turning around, he noticed that it was no other than Lin. Immediately he turned back to the bed, searching for the said girl. Obviously, she hadn't been there anymore. When did she stand up?!

"Aww man! That's not even fair! Look at how tall you are. I feel like a dwarf next to you and you try to tell me that you are my kouhai? I could possibly pass as a ten year old!" She was standing right in front of him, comparing her height with his and causing the other to feel awkward. "I don't wanna be a senpai! I'd feel like an old hag!"

"Suzu-sa-."

"That's Lin for you! I ain't listnin' to anything else!" Crossing her hands, she let herself fall back on the bed.

"Suzu-san this is getting ridicules. I am only trying to help you." Yukio was scratching his head in frustration, maybe even a bit in annoyance. How would he survive another Rin? On the top of it their names were so similar!

_'__Helping me… He has been helping me since Mephisto found me right? Eight months… Well, he got me there. I won't be too much of a dead weight to him.'_

"Fine. I apologize for being this uncooperative. I hope you did not get offended." She bowed politely. "Let's start over! C'mon, sit down here!" Patting the place beside her, she pulled up her legs to lye her head on her knees. With a quiet sigh, the Okumura sat down and turned to look at the enigma.

"As I already said, I am Lin. Please do call me so. It's really weird being called by my family name. I am from Europe. I grew up with people always calling me by my given name." She closed her eyes, remembering all the names she had been called. Blue, Knuffi, Neko-chan, idiot, aho shi, Nudel, Klotz, Matti, Depp, Schatzi, everything but her real name.

"I will try to, but obviously you know about the Japanese culture."

"Yeah, I've been studying Japanese for a while now and one of my hobbies is reading manga, but I guess you already found that one out after my little pity party before. Ehehe. Sorry 'bout that." Blowing away a strand of hair, she stretched her joints. The other person on the bed watched her with glazed eyes. _'Did I say something to make him sad? No! What should I do? Ah! I know! I know! You better not not smile! Time to embarrass myself~'_

"Something the matter? Do I have something sticking on me?" She stood up on the bed. Twisting and turning to find the non-existing speck of dust on her, she eventually fell down on the floor.

**_Thump_**

"Ouch." She swiftly sat back up, while rubbing her hurting forehead. "You ugly floor! Shame on you! Go into the corner and get run over by a car! I will never go out with you ever again!" She was sticking out her tongue by now, trying to sound serious with a high pitched voice, while talking total gibberish.

Another supressed laugh resounded. "You really remind me of my brother."

Lin eyed the brown haired boy with her wide open eyes. "You have a brother? How old is he? Is he nice?"

**You have a sister? How old is she? Is she nice? Introduce me to her! Please~ Matti~!**

**Whoa, calm down Momoko. You'll surely meet her someday. She's three years older than I am, but you see… we are polar opposites.**

**Really, what's her name? Can-…**

"We're twins. He's the older one, but only on paper." Yukio was smiling absentmindedly. "He always rushes into situations without thinking first and then he gets hurt. I always have to treat his injuries and look after him. Still, he is very important to me."

**Lee! Don't touch that!**

**Why? It's gorgeo- Ouch! Owww~**

**I told you so! Come, lemme look.**

**Oookay mommy~**

**Nenn mich ne' so du Depp! ****Ha… Lass ma' schaun. It's just a little cut. Here, just don't touch it again. This flower has thorns!**

**I won't, I won't. Stop being such a worry-wart, aho-shi~**

**You ungrateful nitwit! Come back here! Don't run away! HEY!**

Lin grinned at the boy, pushing her memories into the farthest corner of her mind. She really had to stop having flashbacks. It would only make her seem more suspicious (crazy), but that didn't change the fact that she really missed her sister. Who would take care of that idiot now that she was gone? She would be the cause of her own death! She was such a careless dimwit… It was just like with Yukio and Rin. The younger sibling taking care of the older…  
Back to topic…

"He sounds like a great person. You'll have to introduce us someday." The raven stood up, happily jumping forward. "Saa, now that we know each other a bit, we can start taking care of all this formal stuff. Thanks for being this patient with me." A wide smile spread across her features, but she wasn't looking at the boy in front of her while doing so. She was listlessly gazing out of the window.

The sun was already setting and the last rays of light broke through the heavy blanket of clouds, leaving behind a breath-taking play of colours. Red, orange, blue, purple and pink were prettifying the endless sky, while the moon and stars were appearing on the horizon. Strong winds were crossing the campus outside the window, carrying the last leafs of the already naked trees. What month was it now? Was is the same as at her place? Lin stared at the scenery in front of her. Did someone notice her death? Did it even matter at all? Did… did Momoko even care? She didn't know. She didn't want to know! She knew the answers to her questions would be the opposite of those that she wanted to hear. She hadn't been dubbed Canada for no reason after all. Everyone would quickly forget that she even existed.

"Suzu-san?" Yukio was standing right in front of her, shaking her shoulder. This was no good. She couldn't keep on daydreaming. No good…

A lump made itself felt in her throat, making it hard to breathe. Her heart started to race and chills ran down her spine, causing goosebumps to cover her sickly pale skin.

**Everyone hates me.**

Lin swallowed hard, trying to calm down. She couldn't afford have a panic attack now! Not now, when she already came this far with talking to Yukio. She just had to settle everything now and think about the complicated things later, once she was alone. Hurry! Hurry! She had to find something to cover her behaviour. What should she say?! _'Don't think! Just talk!'_

"You know, your English is really good."

_'__Urgh! That was definitely the lamest thing I ever said!'_

Yukio only frowned at her obviously bad excuse, but Lin could see a glint of confusion behind those serene turquoise eyes. Was he considering, if she was being serious? Or was he already thinking about, why she would lie? Hopefully it wouldn't be the latter.

"Thank you, but I must say, that you yourself mastered the language remarkably well." A little smile was present on his face.

_'__He really doesn't ask any questions just like in the manga. Isn't he curious at all? Naa, he's probably afraid that I'll shut down or something like that. Hahaha! That's so adorable and super considerate. Plus he's good at school and he wants to become a doctor! Aaaand he knows how to fight! No wonder that he has a whole bunch of fangirls. But I don't understand why Rin doesn't have any. He's so cute and has his heart in the right place. Okay, maybe he tends to be a bit… rough at times, but still…' _Hesitantly, she stepped back, wanting to keep some distance to cool her head. She couldn't think clearly with a boy, she had been adoring since she started reading a certain manga, right in front of her. His hard gaze made her uneasy, although it was one devoid of hostility or displeasure. Sure, he was on guard, but he most likely knew that she wouldn't pose any kind of threat to him. She was just a weak little girl after all. Or was she? She was dead after all. Did that make her a ghost? Maybe she could be a familiar or Shinki! That would be awesome. Wait, no. Wrong manga. This wasn't Noragami. She couldn't turn into the tool of a god. Oh no! What about turning into an Ayakashi?! She didn't want to be some ugly and evil monstrosity! No. No! NO! She had to be a ghost to turn into one, right? Perhaps she wasn't a ghost after all. Yeah, Yukio was able to touch her. Still… Change of topic! _'What do I do, if I have to fill out an application to attend this school? Not that I'm not happy about this weight being lifted from my shoulders, but I can't possibly give them my real address and everything, now can I? Hm? Does someone else live there? Maybe I have a Doppelgänger! But… I shouldn't see her, right? I'll die, if I do. Can I even die? I'm already dead! I really want to try that one out, but if I do die… Naa, better not try. How the hell did I even get to this topic?! I started with having to fill out an application and went to my death! Oh, right that application.' _She blinked, forcing herself out of her train of thoughts.

"Do I need to fill out an application to attend this school?"

"Of course." Yukio answered, but as soon as he saw the desperate expression on the others face, he quickly added: "Don't worry. I'll help you." She probably couldn't speak any Japanese, so he had to translate the application anyways. Sir Pheles told her that he had to help her as well, why did she seem so troubled then? Was she scared of him? No, that couldn't be it. She behaved completely at ease with him, not as stiff as with the principal. However, she didn't scrutinize anything. She only asked superficial questions. Was she that dense or did she leave those questions on purpose? Why didn't she ask, why the principal had called him Mr Teacher? She simply asked, if they would be in the same class and then she didn't even ask why the principal put her into this school, seemingly without any reason. All she wanted to know was, if she had to fill out an application. Was she trying to answer her questions in another way? Was she trying to get him to spill unintentionally? Then, what was that with her asking about Rin? Did she try to earn his trust? He hated this. Why did he have to think this way?! Why couldn't he be as simple minded as his Nii-san? All this thinking was giving him a headache.

"Then I'm relieved, but…-" She stared at him with those freezing blue eyes. They weren't like those warm blue orbs of his brother that made him feel secure. Not at all, but they sent shivers down his spine. It felt just like one of those Akuma staring right into his soul. Downright frightening. "-why don't we do it now?"

Lin had to suppress her laughter. Do _it_ now? She didn't say it on purpose! She swore! It was hilarious nonetheless. Oh god, she really had to grow up. Hell, she was seventeen! And she was still laughing at such childish things! Even Yukio was unaffected by it and he was fifteen. Fifteen!

"Ah, of course. I would I agree, if I hadn't left the paper at my home." He smiled slightly, not quiet sheepishly, but Lin could still see it. Why did he have to grow up this quickly? She would have loved to see his younger self, the adorable crybaby. Why couldn't she have turned up earlier? She could have saved Shi-. Stop! Shiro was still alive, righ?! Maybe she could warn the Okumura family in some way! It wasn't really necessary for the paladin to die in that way. He could have taught Rin and Yukio so much more! But how should she do that? She couldn't possibly just barge in and yell out that Satan is going to possess the priest. It would be the same as saying: Hello there~ I'm nuts, please put me into psychiatric care~! No way in hell she would do that, if she had another choice, but if it came down to it... she would to that. Still, how could she do it more… gracefully? Perhaps she could trick Yukio into taking her with him to get the papers. Could she even trick someone as cunning as him? It would be interesting to find out, but she'd have to try. Was it worth the trouble? Of course! How could she even think _that_! But it would be so troublesome… Argh! She had to stop being such a lazy butt. Talking wasn't thaaat exhausting.

"Ne? 'kio-san?" Lin gave him the infamous puppy-look.

"K-kyo-san?" Yukio looked at her as if she had grown a second head. She was the first one to use Kyo as a shortage instead of Yuki. It felt weird on his ears, but not unpleasant. She still used a formal suffix to address him, so he wasn't going to complain. What if she switched it to -chan, if he told her off now? That would be really embarrassing! She wasn't Shiemi after all. However, just who was she really? She only told them her name and age. He didn't even know, if they were true, but then again… She had revealed that she was living on her own and that with a feeling that couldn't have been an act. Her voice had been devoid of any sort of life and her stare unfocused, but still piercing.

More and more questions came up, the more Yukio thought and there were none that he could answer at the moment without starting to thread on thin ice. This girl was a mystery and the principal most likely thought the same way, for that he would never keep a non-combat girl under normal circumstances.

Suddenly a pull on his sleeve caught his attention. Lin was standing next to him, trying to make him stand up, while pulling him with all her might. Was she really that weak? He hadn't noticed it before because of her vigorous mood that kept him occupied, but now that he paid attention, she looked really fragile and unhealthily pale.

"C'mon~, let's get the papers! Pretty please~! I'll behave. Pinkie promise!" Lin was pouting once again. She really was nothing compared to Yukio. She couldn't even make him move an inch! It was so frustrating! She used to be that strong! And now? After eight months of sleeping, she lost all of her hard earned muscles. She just could cry in misery! She would have to build them up again, and that would be such a troublesome thing to do. She hated sports! Wait. Was she even the same person as before? Mephisto had told her that she had ice blue eyes… but she used to have pitch black ones. Maybe her whole appearance had changed. Awesome! Did she look adorable now? Or beautiful?! Hopefully, she would at least look less of a he-she that in her former life.  
And there went her mind once again. She wasn't intending to lose track of what she was doing, but she couldn't get rid of this bad habit of hers. Daydreaming and worrying that much that she forgot the present. Really now, who the hell was this caught up with their own mind?! Baka! Baka! Baka! She had to get a grip of herself. This wouldn't work out otherwise. C'mon, she wasn't that dumb! She wasn't only intelligent on paper. No, she would prevent their father's death!

"Eh? But I live too far away from here. I haven't moved to my dorm yet. Also, I don't think that it would be a good idea to take you along. You still need to rest or else your body will fail on you. I cannot allow that." The younger Okumura twin stood up, pulling his arm out of the girl's tight grip and sternly stared at her. It would be utterly irresponsible to take her to Rin and his father. If Mephisto showed interest in someone, it wasn't something to be taken lightly. In addition, he wanted him to look after her and that he would get a new student. That meant that the principal was planning on making her an exorcist, what also lead to the conclusion that she must have got some potential brooding inside of her. Rin was… the son of Satan himself! He didn't want to see the girl's reaction to that. As harmless as she seemed, she was still an unpredictable potential threat.

He shifted his gaze downwards to a mob of dark black hair. It wasn't just black. Not brown black like his hair or blue black like that of his Nii-san. It seemed to consume every colour surrounding it. Pitch black and endless deep. Her whole appearance was, bluntly put, surreal just like her sole existence. The first time he had seen her was when the principal had called him to treat her. In his eyes she had already been dead. Most of her bones were broken and fractured, she had major internal bleedings and a rib had pierced her lung. Still, Sir Pheles insisted on her treatment. He never told him why, but he couldn't just leave someone to die, so he accepted the task. For eight whole moths he had been caring for her. Every day he had gone to visit the mysterious girl with the unusual appearance. She looked like a ghost and as the days passed by he lost hope for her to awaken from her coma.

"Don't be such a spoil sports! I'm perfectly fine, you see?" She stemmed her fists against her hip. "You need to loosen up a little 'kio-san or else you'll end up with a lotta worry wrinkles!"

Yukio stepped back, facing the said girl completely. He was glad that he hadn't given up, now that he saw her happily jumping around. Lin. She reminded him of his brother so much. If she started to pick fights with everyone as well, he would have to admit that his brother had found his female counterpart. _If_ the two of them ever were to meet each other… No, he didn't even want to imagine that horror scenario. Rin alone was enough for his nerves.

"No Suzu-san. I'll get them as soon as I head home, but you won't be accompanying me." Sighing, he reached for a bag that had been lying against one wall for the whole time. Carefully he rummaged through it and eventually pulled out a staple of papers. What was that? Oh no, she would die from boredom, if it was school work. No way in hell she would voluntarily work in her free time!  
Out of curiosity, Lin peaked at the papers. _'Haa? They are blank? Don't tell me that he'll teach me Japanese! I always wanted to fluently speak Japanese! That's great!'_

"You will need to study Japanese,-" _'I knew it!' _ "-if you want to enter this school or else you will drop out immediately. I can help you, but your success will only depend on your own performance. I can't push you to do something you don't want to. So-." Yukio had to stop his sentence in surprise as he glanced down at the once again animated girl. He could literally see sparkles in her eyes. This was unexpected. His brother would have groaned at his announcement, but she was obviously looking forward to his lessons. He shook his head at his own silliness. Of course she wouldn't be exactly like his brother. He had made the mistake of judging her on the first day. Sure, they did have similarities, but she could be really well behaved and formal if she wanted to. Though, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't believe that this little bundle of energy could even sit still for a second.

Lin took a deep breath and straightened her back, a warm smile tugging on her pinkish lips. "I'll gladly accept your offer. I appreciate your concern and am grateful for all that you have done for me up until now. Please continue to take care of me." She bowed and watched him in anticipation. She could see that he had stiffened in shock for a second, but before she was able to look into it, he had bowed down himself.

"It will be my pleasure to teach you. Please take care of me as well." Then he straightened himself once more and smiled slightly. Let us begin, shall we?"

"Of course!"

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**I hope you liked it. I don't have a beta-reader, so there might be some mistakes that I didn't catch. Please tell me, if you find anything. A review would be nice as well. I'm curious about your opinions.**

**Bai for now**

**Bluebelle**


	2. Unease

**'sup n.n**

**Here is the second chapter! :D I was really surprised to see how many views this fic had o.o I mean, I expected more from the Naruto or One Piece one XD because there are way more people that know those Animes, but still. It makes me really happy to see that you like this story n.n Thank you for the Favourites, Follows and Reviews :) It made me feel all fuzzy owo**

**Review replies:**

**Sora Arashitori: Your review was encouraging! Don't worry :D even a smily would have made me happy n.n **

**Black Heart: Thank you :D It's fine n.n I know how that feels XD**

**Guest: Haha X'D Oh well, Lin freaks out in this chapter even more. It did take its time n.n I didn't write it in one day ;3 I usually need longer, because I always get distracted and bored with writing so easily X'3**

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_'__Damn it! I'm going to crush the first fucking thing that'll cross my path, if this is going to continue!'_

Lin was just walking through the empty halls of the sick bay, just barely suppressing her anger. This damned Yukio! He was definitely making fun of her attempts to make him take her along! She was sure that he knew that she wanted to come along. Just a second ago he told her off once again! With that freakish smile of his. Argh! On the top of it, she had the feeling that every time she tried something he would make her Japanese lessons insanely difficult. That wasn't fair at all! _Life _wasn't fair at all.  
However, she had to admit that he really was a nice person. She didn't feel awkward at all around him and he was a good teacher as well! Still, her Japanese was kind of – how to put this – primitive. Considering, that she had been able to read katakana and hiragana even before his lessons (Oh boy, she remembered his face when he found that one out. He really wasn't expecting _that_.), her performance was honestly weak, at least in her opinion. Yukio always praised her diligence and interest in their culture. It was kind of sweet of him to do that, but she knew that she needed someone to beat it into her, not someone who babied her.  
With a defeated sigh, she weakly pushed open the door to her room. Her anger had dissipated once more and only this hateful indifference spread inside of her. Not quite indifference, loneliness and agony were lacing her gloomy mood. A few day ago the painful realization of the past few weeks hat hit her like a wet towel in her face. _She died. _She freaking died! Her sister hated her and everyone would have forgotten her by now, even the person she had called her best friend for years… She had always been alone and since her parents died, she also had no one to depend on anymore, no one but herself.  
Listlessly, she let herself fall onto the soft mattress. She covered her eyes with her arm and took in a deep breath, silently listening to her beating heart. Why did everything have to be this complicated? Why couldn't problems solve themselves for god's sake?! Why did a feeling like guilt even exist?! It ate her up from the inside out.

**_'_****_It's all my fault.'_**

Yeah, it really had all been her own fault and she had to take responsibility for it, but she couldn't carry it anymore! She just couldn't. She threatened to drown in worry and guilt. With every passing day she felt her life escaping from her own palms and the worst was that she didn't even felt the urge to stop it. She just let it flow away from her, leaving her drained. Even Yukio had noticed her weird behaviour lately. Fortunately, she could keep her secret up until now, but she couldn't keep on lying while looking at his worried face. All that she would achieve, was to make him feel at fault. She was his first real patient and if she was going to die on him, it wouldn't leave a great memory. That and the fact that she refused to let everything end up like in the anime were the only things to keep her from letting go. What else would there be waiting for her? The only persons she knew were Yukio of course and Mephisto, but she had long found out that he only kept her for his entertainment, not that she argued, she was actually glad to be of any use. As long as she didn't build any kind of bounds with anyone here, everything was fine with her. Gosh, she already sounded like Sai. At least he was one of her favourite characters, besides Obito. She really had a sick taste. A lifeless asshole and a mass murderer? She could only laugh at her own idiocy.

"Suzu-san? Are you in here?" Someone knocked on the door. Naturally, she already knew who it was. This voice… and that way to call her. It had to be Yukio. But what did he want? He had told her that he wanted to head home and he wasn't going to take her along.

"Suzu-san? I'll open the door now." Just as the sentence was spoken, the door was carefully pushed open. Lin swiftly sat up and put a wide smile on her face. She didn't want to worry the poor boy any more than she already did. She didn't want him to suffer like she had been in her former life.

"Hello 'kio-san! Didn't you want to head home? It's already getting dark. You should hurry!" She blinked, pushing all her thoughts into the farthest corner of her mind. Better not think anything at all or else he would find out that she was not feeling well again. He was really good at seeing through her acts. He probably learned that because Rin always told him that he was fine as well, when he wasn't. But she thought it was only because they were twins. It seemed like, she had been wrong the whole time.

"I changed my mind. My father has been bugging me since I told him about you. He insists that he wants to see this girl that I-" He cut himself off. However, Lin didn't even notice. She had stopped listening as soon as he said that he had told his father about _her._ Why would he do that?! She thought that he would be too professional to break his obligation to secrecy as a doctor. It was good to hear that he wasn't. He was just fifteen after all.

"-eed to promise me that you won't be rude."

Dang it, she forgot to listen again. At least she got to hear his last sentence. Lucky.

"Of course. Don't worry. I'll show him my best side." She smiled brightly and then linked her arm with his, pulling him along. "Let's hurry or it'll turn dark before we even arrive."

"Sure..." Yukio stared at the back of the smaller girl. Almost a whole month had passed without him noticing. He had been visiting her every day, checking up her health and teaching her Japanese. Everything had been going well. Her body had recovered remarkably well and the fact that she had already been taking Japanese classes made it far easier to teach her. On the top of it she was a fast learner, he only had to give her guidelines and she would do everything else on her own. Day after day he found something new out about her, but it still felt like he didn't know her at all. At least he came to the conclusion that she was far from being as reckless as his big brother. He was honestly relieved to know that he could leave her unwatched for the night without worrying about her well-being. However, around the third week her health suddenly got worse as the days passed by. She thought that he hadn't noticed it, but he could see her struggling to keep up her façade. There were dark bags beneath her dull eyes. They had lost their piercing and clear blue colour and her movements got less animated, apathetic even. It seemed like she didn't care about anything anymore. He didn't know what happened, but he couldn't stand watching someone suffering right in front of his eyes. He had asked his father what he could do to help someone like her and of course he had asked who that certain someone would be. He should have known that he would tease him about it, but he also knew that he couldn't do this on his own.  
The black haired teen stopped all of a sudden, let go of his arm and turned around. She was still smiling, but he knew that she was barely keeping it up. She was a strong and kind-hearted girl, smiling for someone else's sake.

"Ne? 'kio-san? I don't know which way to go. Gomenasai, ehehehe~." Lin sheepishly scratched the back of her head, while looking up at Yukio. He simply gave her his usual good-boy smile and wordlessly led her through the still empty halls of the sick bay. Neither one of them dared to break the pregnant silence, even though they knew that both of them had so many questions. Why did he suddenly decide to take her along after all? What had happened to her? How could she prevent Shiro's death? What was his father up to? What if she slipped up? Why did he want to see her? Would Yukio hate her? Would he separate him from her?  
They stopped right in front of the entrance. The younger Okumura twin pulled out a key and opened the door. Without a second thought, Lin gripped the hem of his jersey. He immediately stiffened at the touch. It was weak and he could feel how cold her fingers were even through his shirt. She was shivering, but why? Was she scared? Or was she cold?  
Just as he wanted to turn around, she pushed him through the door onto the lawn of his 'home'. Not far behind, she was looking at the 'house' with awe. It was something like a church. A little one. Although, compared to other houses it was still big.  
Lin swallowed hard. Her heart was mercilessly beating against her chest and she felt hot and cold at the same time. What was up with her body? She couldn't stop shaking at all. Hopefully Yukio wouldn't notice that, but she guessed that he already did. Damn it. Why was that happening right then?! She always used to have her body under control. It was really frustrating.

"Suzu-san?" The boy had turned to look at her. "We should head inside. It will get cold here."

She simply shifted her gaze without moving an inch. Inside… Yeah, she had to go inside. This was what she had always wanted, right? She had been annoying the poor boy the whole time because of that and now she was having doubts, when it was too late already. She couldn't retreat now. She had to pull through.  
Straightening her back, she stepped forward and once again gripped the sleeve of Yukio's jersey. With a little smile on her face, she lightly pushed him towards the entrance.

_'__Here''__'__Here I come~'_

Just as they stepped through the door, a loud welcome home was yelled out. Out of instinct, Lin hid behind the broad back of Yukio, who was warmly smiling at the greeting.

"I'm home."

She could feel the vibrating of his voice against his back. Leaning closer to his frame, she could also hear his heart steadily beating and feel the warmth that he was emitting. It was so soothing and secure. She wanted more. More heat, more security, simply more of everything.  
Absentmindedly, her hands slowly wandered up, tracing over the seam of his top. It felt so nice being close to someone. Close. Then she abruptly stilled her movements. No. This was wrong. So very wrong!  
Tentatively, she took a step backwards, while looking at the boy in front of her in disbelief. She couldn't afford to create a bound with anyone. She couldn't depend on anyone. She had to handle this on her own. Always on her own…

"This way Suzu-san." With utmost care, Yukio put a hand on her back and gently pushed her forward. He could tell that she was completely intimidated, downright frightened even. Her ridged fingers had been clinging to his jersey for support not a second ago and the fact that she had given him that _look_ – lips pressed into a thin line, head slightly casted downwards and eyes as wide as platters. He hadn't expected a reaction like this, but after almost four weeks, he learnt to expect the unexpected from her. That didn't mean that this sight wasn't alarming. Even for her conditions this was far from being usual. She had been looking forward to this moment since the first day she had woken up on. Every single day she would nag around about him and why he had refused to take her along. And now? And now she had completely shut off, not responding the way she usually did. She probably didn't even notice.  
But… She never even told him why she insisted on meeting his family. It wasn't like him to stick his nose into someone's business. Nonetheless… wasn't it kind of his problem? She was _his_ patient and _she _wanted to meet _his_ family.

"Yukio! You're late man! We already started eating dinner without you."

Lin held her breath, not daring to disturb her hearing by making noise with her breath. There he was, lazily sitting at the full table and eating without a single care in the world. Rin. The hue of his hair was just as dark blue as in the anime and his eyes had the same shade of a sapphire. Fascinating. Simply fascinating. She though in awe. He was the complete opposite of his twin Yukio, who was the calmness in person. Rin emitted an aura of vigorousness and rebelliousness.

"Sorry, I had to take care of—" He paused and glanced behind him. "-something important."

"Ha? You always use the same exc-"

**_Clatter_**

"Y-Y-Yukio, y-you-. She-. A girl!" He screeched while pointing at his brother. His fork had slipped out of his hand. Said girl only slipped further behind the boy in front of her, kind of feeling ashamed for what reason ever. She felt her face heating up and her legs turning into jelly. Oh no, she was reverting to old habits. She needed to get a grip of herself. C'mon she was no scaredy-cat. Not anymore.

"Well deducted Nii-san." Yukio smiled teasingly.

"B-but how come my little brother gets a girlfriend before I do?!"

"Well Rin, I would be worrying, if I were you."

"Old man!"

"I agree with father Nii-san."

Rin choked and looked at his family members in disbelief. Lin, as well, could only watch the scene with confusion. She was dumbstruck. How the hell did Rin even get to the conclusion that she was Yukio's g-girlfriend?! And why didn't Yukio correct him?! This was all so embarrassing! Wasn't _he _the one who had told her to behave? Damn him and his way to make her obey.  
Shyly and slightly flustered, the black haired girl stepped forth from behind the said person. Her gaze instantly fell upon the younger Okumura twin.

_'__Whoa, great combination of colours. Blue eyes and black hair. I love blue! No. Get a grip. Get a grip! Getagrip! I really need to concentrate now. If I slip up, everything would have been in vain. Just act like Lin again. Be Lin. I am Lin!' _She released a breath that she didn't know she was holding in._ 'Fuck.'_

"Good evening." Her voice was barely above a whisper, almost not audible, but still, everyone present in the room went silent and turned to look at her. _'Well, that went well, didn't it? – note the sarcasm. What now?' _She clenched her fists. _'I gotta say something. C'mon, there must be something I could say or do with my epically bad Japanese.' _A soft smile was gracing her features. _'Oh man, I give up. Just play nice.'_

Everyone - what actually only included Rin, Yukio and Shiro – stared at her as if she was going to say something else. It felt like years before one of them noticed that she wasn't going to continue. Yukio was the first one to take action. He placed a reassuring hand on her back and carefully pushed her forward, his expression showing genuine concern. To him she looked like a panic-stricken animal, gaping at his family members with wide eyes. He could literally feel her trembling beside him – her hand was still clinging at his jersey after all. Why was she this frightened anyways? He couldn't place a finger on it.

"You should introduce yourself." He whispered, causing shivers to crawl down her back. He was so close! Too close for comfort - that didn't mean that it wasn't still nice.  
She swallowed hard and then bowed deeply. "I'm Suzu Lin. Please take care of me." It came out in a slight stutter and her accent was also present.

Rin just dumbly stared at her. How the hell did Yukio, – Yukio! – this little scaredy-four-eyes, get a girlfriend like that?! How did he even manage to meet a girl like her? He couldn't imagine that she had been the one to approach him. She was way too timid and shy. Hell, he could barely understand her whispery voice! However, he had to admit that she _was _kind of cute. The adorable cute and there was something about her. Something-, something abnormal. His gut feeling told him not to trust her. Yeah, as if. He had to stop that. He was already thinking like his old man. It was probably just the fact that he didn't know her. Still… He couldn't stand her, for what reason ever.  
He blinked. The girl's pitch black hair was tied into high pigtails, smoothly falling around her frame. It reached just past her shoulders. Her icy blue eyes were dull and unfocused, still somehow its piercing glare made his gut do flip-flops – not the good kind.  
His gaze shifted downwards. She was wearing Yukio's old clothes. What the hell? Wha-. Why was she freaking wearing _his brother's _clothes?!  
His expression mirrored his thoughts – sour. He could see the little girl cower beneath his glare – literally little. She was almost two heads smaller than Yukio. How old was she even? Ten? But why would his little brother choose such a young girl?! He always thought that he was the rational one between the two of them.

"You don't have to be this scared Lin! Come here, sit down. You must be exhausted after this long day." It was Shiro who called her over. He was grinning widely, just like she could remember from the pictures in the manga. Her breath hitched. He was the strongest of exorcists. A paladin. The one who would soon die…  
As the said man saw her unsure expression he added: "Don't worry this one won't bite. Right Rin?"

The boy was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts, quickly casting his head to the side. "What do you want to say with that?!"

Yukio ignored the whole ruckus and gently lead the confused girl to one of the seats. He himself sat down as well, watching his family argue. He should have expected his Nii-san to act like this. He always did, without noticing that he was intimidating half of the people around him.  
A sigh escaped his lips. Why did he want to take her with him in the end anyways? He glanced to the side. Her pale skin seemed even whiter if possible. Her whole body was trembling and her eyes were wide open. Not even when they had first met, she behaved like this! He was impressed by how calm and collected she had seemed. After all the principal had decided to be unreasonably blunt. The news of her near death experience didn't seem to bother her at all, but now, weeks after the incident, she was cowering in fear for no comprehensible reason. It couldn't be that she had to talk with someone. He had seen her talking and playing with other children, who stayed at school while summer break. She had no problem with kidding around. In his eyes, she was an outgoing and lively girl, not the kind of person that he was witnessing at that moment.

"Thank you."

Her soft voice should have been drowned by the loud bickering of the two males that were occupying the room, but the noise stilled at her comment. Rin turned to look at the weird girl. She was nervously twirling the tips of her hair, not daring to face any of them. Well, of course besides Yukio.

"What are you thanking us for? You're a weird little girl." Shiro inquired and grinned at her, kind of setting a final to the fight with his older son. The younger one took the lead at that and spoke up, while gesturing to Shiro.

"This is my father. He might be a bit too much at times, but he is actually a respectable man." Said man proudly nodded in agreement. Then he pointed at his older brother with a sigh. "This is the one I already told you about."

"Eh?! You've been talking about me?"

Ignoring the outburst of Rin, Lin shifted her attention from Yukio back to him. He, as well, had an aura of pride surrounding him. It must have been that Yukio admitted that he had been talking about him behind his back. Who wouldn't be, if his younger sibling did? She had always been happy, when her sister mentioned her.  
She shook her head. Oh man, she really had to pull herself together. _'Stop spacing around!'_

"It is a pleasure to meet you." She bowed slightly. Not very creative, but it had been the first thing to pop up in her head. There wasn't much that she could say, without sounding like an inept dimwit. Hey, she only had had a four-week crash course in Japanese and all of her former knowledge had been wiped out of her memory – not literally of course, but it wasn't useable **_at all._**

Rin glared at the hunched form of the girl in front of him. He felt like hitting her, but that would have been so wrong in many perspectives. The feeling alone was wrong enough! What was that? Why was he in such a bad mood? Not even the fact that Yukio admitted defeat, made him feel any better. Was it really because of- he narrowed his eyes –her?

**_Rumble._**

The sound of a grumbling stomach pulled him out of his thoughts. A blush was spread across the girl's otherwise pale face. Damn it. He couldn't possibly let a friend of his brother starve, neither could he treat her the way his gut told him to At least not that brutally.

"I am sorry."

Well, he did have to admit that she had good manners. But those momentarily hidden eyes still unnerved him. Was she wearing contacts? No, that would have been really unreasonable.  
Rin turned in surprise as his father began to heartily laugh. "You don't have to be! Everyone gets hungry. Dig in! We have enough for everyone."

Lin gratefully smiled at the man and then looked at the plates placed on the table with longing eyes. Could she just take something? Or did she have to wait for someone to start? She didn't know! Wasn't it rude to take the first turn? Oh well, she just had to wait and see.  
As if on cue, Shiro picked up his chopsticks and put his food on the plate in front of him. Rin eagerly followed.  
Nervously, she herself reached for her chopsticks and eyed the meal once more. Sushi, onigiri, sashimi, soba, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, of course rice and mochi were placed across the table. Only the sight made her mouth water. Nonetheless it wasn't hard for her to decide. She didn't like raw fish at all and the red bean paste has never been that appealing to her. However, she _loved _ramen and soba and other kind of Asian noodles. Obviously she chose the delicious looking soba. She had always wanted to taste Rin's cooking and now she was sitting at the table with him, Yukio and their father! It was so unbelievable, surreal even.

"Itadakimasu!"

Lin jerked slightly in surprise and watched as everyone put their hands together. Oh right, she had to say that before she started to eat.  
Hesitantly, she raised her hands in a silent prayer and spoke with her soft voice. "Itadakimasu."

Within the blink of an eye everyone was already devouring the food. Not literally devouring, but they did eat with eagerness.  
Lin stared at the plate in front of her, then at the family eating and back to her food. _'It must be delicious. Still, somehow those looks Rin are giving me… Nah, just eat already Lin and stop thinking.'_

Carefully, almost lazily, she began to eat. As soon as the first noodles touched her tongue, all her doubts were gone. It really was as godly as they had described it in the manga. She really had the urge to inhale the food, but she couldn't do that now. It wouldn't look very ladylike, so she had to force herself to eat slowly. _'Fuck being ladylike. I've never been much of a girl anyways.' _She glanced at Yukio. _'But I'll behave, just like I promised. Mark my words Yukio. I never break my promises. Better be grateful.'_

"Lin was it, right?" Shiro suddenly asked.

She turned to the source of the voice as she heard her name, then quickly nodded as she eventually processed the question.

"Tell us a bit about you! Yukio is always very secretive about his school life. He never even told me that he has an exchange student to take care of!" He was kind of pouting.

_'__Exchange student? Great excuse. And where the hell do I come from?'_ She threw the younger Okumura a confused look and then proceeded to sweetly smile at the paladin. "Yes. Uhm… I'm an German." She felt a shocked pair of eyes on her. "But I'm a Filipina as well."

Shiro nodded and waited for the girl to continue. His son hadn't been exaggerating, when he had told him that his charge was more than unnerving. She didn't quite feel like a demon, but she didn't feel human as well.  
He narrowed his eyes. Rin, as well, had a negative reaction. Usually the gut feeling of a demon wasn't wrong. So what was she? On the top of it, it was Mephisto, who had given Yukio the task of looking after her. That man had never been up to good. However - He, once again, smiled brightly. – She was his son's first actual patient, if you ignored Rin, and he had already gotten attached to her. He couldn't scold him for that. She was an enigma and the boy didn't like not being able to solve something. That meant that him asking for help was an exception. He couldn't just leave him high and dry now that he had brought her here.  
His gaze wandered upwards, but then all of a sudden he halted. How could he not have noticed it before?! The demons! They were passing through her as if she weren't even present at all!  
He had to force himself not to gasp at that. How was this even possible?! He could see her just fine and she could touch them without any problems. Was she even aware of her state? It seemed like she was only present in Assiah, but from what Yukio had told him, she could feel their presence, if not even see them. The more he thought about her, the more questions popped up in this head. He wanted to bluntly ask her, but his son had insisted on not traumatizing her in any way. If he wouldn't know better, he would have said that he had fallen in love with that timid girl. He could only laugh at that ridicules idea.  
Looking up, he noticed that she was absorbed in a conversation with his older son, who was wearing an expression of discomfort. He really didn't like her, now did he?

"How old are you anyways?"

Lin kept up her smile, not wanting to set off the other boy. She could clearly see his blunt glare that was directed towards her. What had she done this time? She had only told them their heritage, before Rin openly stated his displeasure. _I can't stand your face. _He had said. It felt like a punch into the gut to her. Her heart was still pumping like a maniac. Ba-dump, ba-dump – it went.

"I am seventeen years old."

She was barely holding in her tears. Yeah, she was way too emotional, but who was she to complain. After all, she wasn't emotional at all – not emotional at times that she wished to be…

"You are fifteen, right?"

The silence that greeted her was devouring and awkward. Rin was only focused on eyeing her from head to toe. She didn't expect things to turn out this way. Although… She should have known. Everything had always turned out the wrong way as soon she was present. She was a magnet for misfortune. She meant, did Rin ever hate anyone without a reason? No. And here she was, him seeing her for the first time and he already hated her guts. How was she supposed to help them, if one already rejected her completely?

"Yeah, obviously." The boy grunted. What was she supposed to do now? She had assumed that they would get along, but now…

**It's all my fault.**

_'__Always.'_

**I should have known.**

_'__Yeah. It never turns out the way I predict it to be. I can never make myself behave the way I want to as soon too many people that I don't really know are present. Why?... I hate it.'_

**I hate myself.**

"How come that you have Yukio as your guide and not someone your age?" Rin hissed, empathizing the _'your age' _part.  
Lin bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to show anyone how much words could affect her. Was she that unlikeable? How depressing…  
She evened out her breathing and looked straight into those mesmerizing eyes of the dark haired boy.

"Why not him? His Japanese is great. I am learning Japanese." She had to halt, searching for the right words. "My Japanese is honestly bad."

Was that the reason why she kept her sentences as short and easy as possible? Rin stared ahead. He had thought that she was speaking unwillingly and that that had been the reason or her refusal to speak without being spoken to. Really now, he had to stop having prejudice against this girl- Maybe if he wasn't such an asshole towards her, she would turn out to be really cool.

"Haa? Why did you come to a Japanese school then?"

Whoops. That was a bit harsh. He didn't intend to make it sound this mean, but whatever. It was too late now anyways.

"My uhm-. I like Japan. I am alone and I do not like my home. Rather I've been kicked out of my home…" The last part wasn't meant to be said out aloud. Luckily, Lin had reverted back to English without noticing before those words had left her lips. Plus they were spoken that softly that no normal human would be able to make sense out of them. However, no on one of those occupying the room was normal. They were far for being normal.

Yukio, who wordlessly had been listening to their conversation, watched them getting used to one another. He could see them struggling, both for another reason. While Lin looked like she was going to keel over, Rin was balling his hands into tight fist, obviously trying to hold himself back. Those glares he was giving her and the way she bit down on her lower lip… He had thought that they would immediately get along, but reality had proved his prediction to be way off from the truth. His brother hated her and she was scared of him. Not the best ground to build on. All he could hope for was that his father would solve what was keeping Lin from getting healthy. It had to do something with her home. Yukio pressed his lips into a thin line. This one side note. She probably thought that he hadn't heard her whispering it. _Rather I was kicked out of my home. _She had said. What did that mean? Had she been blatantly lying into their faces the whole time? Hadn't she told the principal that there was no one to contact about her absence and that she was in Japan for a trip? Why would she lie about that? Didn't she want to return to her home? Of course! His eyes widened in realization. She had told his Nii-san that she didn't like her home! But where did she come from? All this time he had been spending with her didn't further their knowledge about each other at all. Neither of them told the other about themselves. That only showed that this girl wasn't as dumb as she made herself appear. He could also see that in her studies. They hadn't only studied Japanese, but also all the other subjects. He wanted to make sure that she was prepared for what was to come. However, there was no need for that. Apparently, she was actually quite able. It was surprising to see that out of all subjects math was one her strong point. Naturally she went through the English exercises as if they were written in her mother tongue. Which lead him back to his actual question. Where _did _she come from? The Philippines? It was possible, but she said that she was German as well. It had really shocked him at first. She hadn't even once mentioned _that_. It was fully plausible. Her skin had a natural pale colour, even if you neglected her momentary state. However, knowing that, she was even more suspicious. Did Mephisto really not know her? He wasn't that sure of it anymore. It would make a lot more sense, if she was his acquaintance. Then the princ ipal would have a reason to save her. At the moment it looked like he took in a random stranger that he had run over. Not very convincing, if you asked him. He had had his doubts from the beginning, but who was he to question the principal. He had to have his own reasons. Still, the fact that this girl had the same heritage as him was unsettling.

"Thanks for the meal." Lin put her hands together and bowed her head. Oh no. Now Yukio had missed the whole conversation with Rin! He sighed for the upmost time this day. Being around those two made him tired.  
After following the blue eyed girl's lead, Yukio thanked for the meal and put down his chopsticks.

"Yukio. Rin. Why don't you go ahead and prepare the guest room?" Fujimoto, who had kept quiet for most of the time as well, stood up and grinned at his boys. He wanted to have a word with the girl without someone glaring at her or another factor keeping her at bay. He wanted to hear the full truth out of her own mouth.  
Rin and Yukio looked at each other and quickly left with a _'Later' and 'Yes'_. They probably knew that their father wanted to be alone.

"So." A voice resounded. Lin turned around, facing the man completely. "You're that little enigma Yukio told me about? You sure are a mystery." He put his elbow onto the table surface and leaned his head onto his palm. "Tell me more about you. I'm all ears. I want to know what kind of person my son spends his time with."

Lin swallowed hard and gripped the hem of her shirt for support. She felt her gut churn in disapproval and chills running down her back, causing goosebumps to form on her porcelain skin. The world around her started to spin in circles. Why was she this nervous? Okay, scratch that, she knew why she was nervous, but still. Her hands wouldn't stop trembling and she could feel the blood pulsing through her veins. You know the feeling when you are standing on the edge of a high place without any kind of safety measurement? Yeah, she felt just like that. However, what she didn't understand was how this could be even though the air was neither awkward nor thick. Actually the man in front of her was emitting a vibe of security as if she could really tell him anything. It must have been because he was a priest.

"What I tell you should? I cannot say much." She literally couldn't tell him much with her limited Japanese, but she couldn't just tell Shiro something without Yukio approving of her answer. Then again, he had sent his son away. Perhaps he wanted her to talk without worrying about what he Yukio would think.

"Your likes. Your dislikes. Hobbies and dream for the future. Anything actually." He was waving his hands along his suggestions. Somehow this seemed familiar. Lin blinked. A picture of Kakashi entered her mind. Oh right. That introduction. She had been brooding about the answers to those questions since she started writing fanfictions and actually… never came to a conclusion. What did she really like? What did she dislike when there was nothing she hated? Oh wait, she did hate _something _or more like she was scared of it.

Before she knew it, the words had slipped past her lips, making the temperature seemingly drop beneath sub-zero.

"I hate your death."


End file.
